I came across a newspaper account of an extension to Quebec House School, Upper Maze Hill, in the Hastings and St Leonards Observer, 12 July 1873. The principal, Mr T. Russell Wilkinson, had negotiated with the landlord, Mr Sellman, while Mr Howell was the builder. I wondered where this school was. No Quebec House was, […]
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This post’s title is the dramatic first sentence, in capital letters, of a report from the magistrates’ court at Hastings, in the Hastings and St Leonards Observer, 22 October 1870. It continues: JOHN THOMAS MULHEARN, of 28, Warrior-square, coachmaker, was summoned, but did not appear, for having disturbed and annoyed his wife, Jane Mulhearn. Mr […]
The 1 September 1831 edition of the [London] Evening Standard has a very detailed, and interesting, advertisement for auction properties in St Leonards. It includes mention of The Conqueror Hotel, West Hill, Mercatoria, The Lavatory [Lavatoria, the washing venue for the town], and Marina. Here it is below. 8 Sept 1831, Brighton Gazette: In […]
The 20 July 1889 issue of the Hastings and St Leonards Observer has a long, anonymous article titled ‘The growth of Hastings, new buildings, a casual survey’. It is in a single paragraph. It begins by taking in effect a walk on the outskirts of St Leonards, and is given below, with this extract ending […]
Crystal Square in St Leonards survives only as a name of a car park close to the Kings Road. It used to be a courtyard surrounded by tiny houses, with an entry alley from South Street, to the south of the car park. This account of what, frankly, was a slum in based on several […]
“Walking is how the body measures itself against the earth”, a quote from Rebecca Solnit’s ‘Wanderlust: a history of walking’. Usually in a catchment area of 30 miles, the Society walks through sunshine and mud amongst their local flora & fauna and it was my turn to contribute a walk on 25th January, 2024. Managing […]
These are extracts from a dissertation. In these recession-hit times, a traveller to Hastings, walking from the railway station past boarded-up shop fronts towards the fire-damaged pier and on to St. Leonards, might be surprised to discover the town’s elegant and fashionable history. It was the fourth largest resort in England and Wales in the […]
Although many schools put adverts in local newspapers, they nearly always give details of their teachers, and the subjects covered, rather than how much they charged. By chance I came across an exception. The Sussex Advertiser, 25 July 1865, provided many details for a school at 26 Gensing Station Road (now Kings Road). The school […]
A selection of newspaper articles relating to St Leonards between 1830 & 1831.
The burial registers of St Leonards church for 1836 lists two burials on the same day: Thomas Laws. [Of] St Mary Magdalen. [Buried] Septr. 17th. [Age] 29 years. Mary Jane Laws. St Mary Magdalen. Septr. 17th. 3 months. No causes of death are given. Mary Jane was in fact Thomas’ daughter, and he had died […]